Multimodal transmission of packetized data

ABSTRACT

A system of multi-modal transmission of packetized data in a voice activated data packet based computer network environment is provided. A natural language processor component can parse an input audio signal to identify a request and a trigger keyword. Based on the input audio signal, a direct action application programming interface can generate a first action data structure, and a content selector component can select a content item. An interface management component can identify first and second candidate interfaces, and respective resource utilization values. The interface management component can select, based on the resource utilization values, the first candidate interface to present the content item. The interface management component can provide the first action data structure to the client computing device for rendering as audio output, and can transmit the content item converted for a first modality to deliver the content item for rendering from the selected interface.

BACKGROUND

Excessive network transmissions, packet-based or otherwise, of networktraffic data between computing devices can prevent a computing devicefrom properly processing the network traffic data, completing anoperation related to the network traffic data, or timely responding tothe network traffic data. The excessive network transmissions of networktraffic data can also complicate data routing or degrade the quality ofthe response if the responding computing device is at or above itsprocessing capacity, which may result in inefficient bandwidthutilization. The control of network transmissions corresponding tocontent item objects can be complicated by the large number of contentitem objects that can initiate network transmissions of network trafficdata between computing devices.

SUMMARY

At least one aspect is directed to a system of multi-modal transmissionof packetized data in a voice activated data packet based computernetwork environment. A natural language processor component executed bya data processing system can receive, via an interface of the dataprocessing system, data packets comprising an input audio signaldetected by a sensor of a client computing device. The natural languageprocessor component can parse the input audio signal to identify arequest and a trigger keyword corresponding to the request. A directaction application programming interface of the data processing systemcan generate, based on at least one of the request and the triggerkeyword, a first action data structure. A content selector componentexecuted by the data processing system can receive at least one of therequest and the trigger keyword identified by the natural languageprocessor and can select, based on at least one of the request and thetrigger keyword, a content item via a real-time content selectionprocess. An interface management component of the data processing systemcan poll a plurality of interfaces to identify a first candidateinterface and a second candidate interface, and can determine a firstresource utilization value for the first candidate interface and asecond resource utilization value for the second candidate interface.The first resource utilization value and the second resource utilizationvalue can be based on at least one of a battery status, processorutilization, memory utilization, an interface parameter, and networkbandwidth utilization. The interface management component can select,based on a comparison of the first resource utilization value and thesecond resource utilization value, the first candidate interface as aselected interface to present the content item, and can convert thecontent item for delivery in a modality compatible with the selectedinterface selected based on the comparison of the first resourceutilization value and the second resource utilization value. Theinterface management component can provide the first action datastructure to the client computing device for rendering as audio outputfrom the client computing device, and can transmit the content itemconverted for the first modality to deliver the content item forrendering from the selected interface.

At least one aspect is directed to a method of multi-modal transmissionof packetized data in a voice activated data packet based computernetwork environment. The method can receive, by a natural languageprocessor component executed by a data processing system, via aninterface of the data processing system, data packets comprising aninput audio signal detected by a sensor of a client computing device.The method can identify, by the natural language processor component,from the input audio signal, a request and a trigger keywordcorresponding to the request. The method can generate, by a directaction application programming interface of the data processing system,based on at least one of and the trigger keyword, a first action datastructure. The method can receive, by a content selector componentexecuted by the data processing system, at least one of the request andthe trigger keyword identified by the natural language processor and canselect, based on at least one of the request and the trigger keyword, acontent item via a real-time content selection process. The method canpoll, by an interface management component of the data processingsystem, a plurality of interfaces to identify a first candidateinterface and a second candidate interface. The method can determine, bythe interface management component, a first resource utilization valuefor the first candidate interface and a second resource utilizationvalue for the second candidate interface. The first resource utilizationvalue and the second resource utilization value can be based on at leastone of a battery status, processor utilization, memory utilization, aninterface parameter, and network bandwidth utilization. The method canselect, based on a comparison of the first resource utilization valueand the second resource utilization value, the first candidate interfaceas a selected interface to present the content item. The method canconvert the content item for delivery in a modality compatible with theselected interface selected based on the comparison of the firstresource utilization value and the second resource utilization value.The method can provide the first action data structure to the clientcomputing device for rendering as audio output from the client computingdevice. The method can transmit the content item converted for the firstmodality to deliver the content item for rendering from the selectedinterface.

At least one aspect is directed to a computer readable storage mediumstoring instructions that when executed by one or more data processors,cause the one or more data processors to perform operations formulti-modal transmission of packetized data in a voice activated datapacket based computer network environment. The operations can receive,by a natural language processor component executed by a data processingsystem, via an interface of the data processing system, data packetscomprising an input audio signal detected by a sensor of a clientcomputing device. The operations can identify, by the natural languageprocessor component, from the input audio signal, a request and atrigger keyword corresponding to the request. The operations cangenerate, by a direct action application programming interface of thedata processing system, based on at least one of and the triggerkeyword, a first action data structure. The operations can receive, by acontent selector component executed by the data processing system, atleast one of the request and the trigger keyword identified by thenatural language processor and can select, based on at least one of therequest and the trigger keyword, a content item via a real-time contentselection process. The operations can poll, by an interface managementcomponent of the data processing system, a plurality of interfaces toidentify a first candidate interface and a second candidate interface.The operations can determine, by the interface management component, afirst resource utilization value for the first candidate interface and asecond resource utilization value for the second candidate interface.The first resource utilization value and the second resource utilizationvalue can be based on at least one of a battery status, processorutilization, memory utilization, an interface parameter, and networkbandwidth utilization. The operations can select, based on a comparisonof the first resource utilization value and the second resourceutilization value, the first candidate interface as a selected interfaceto present the content item. The operations can convert the content itemfor delivery in a modality compatible with the selected interfaceselected based on the comparison of the first resource utilization valueand the second resource utilization value. The operations can providethe first action data structure to the client computing device forrendering as audio output from the client computing device. Theoperations can transmit the content item converted for the firstmodality to deliver the content item for rendering from the selectedinterface.

These and other aspects and implementations are discussed in detailbelow. The foregoing information and the following detailed descriptioninclude illustrative examples of various aspects and implementations,and provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature andcharacter of the claimed aspects and implementations. The drawingsprovide illustration and a further understanding of the various aspectsand implementations, and are incorporated in and constitute a part ofthis specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. Likereference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate likeelements. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled inevery drawing. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 depicts a system to of multi-modal transmission of packetizeddata in a voice activated computer network environment;

FIG. 2 depicts a flow diagram for multi-modal transmission of packetizeddata in a voice activated computer network environment;

FIG. 3 depicts method of multi-modal transmission of packetized data ina voice activated computer network environment; and

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a general architecture for acomputer system that may be employed to implement elements of thesystems and methods described and illustrated herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Following below are more detailed descriptions of various conceptsrelated to, and implementations of, methods, apparatuses, and systemsfor multi-modal transmission of packetized data in a voice activateddata packet based computer network environment. The various conceptsintroduced above and discussed in greater detail below may beimplemented in any of numerous ways.

Systems and methods of the present disclosure relate generally to a dataprocessing system that identifies an optimal transmission modality fordata packet (or other protocol based) transmission in a voice activatedcomputer network environment. The data processing system can improve theefficiency and effectiveness of data packet transmission over one ormore computer networks by, for example, selecting a transmissionmodality from a plurality of options for data packet routing through acomputer network of content items to one or more client computingdevice, or to different interfaces (e.g., different apps or programs) ofa single client computing device. Data packets or other protocol basedsignals corresponding to the selected operations can be routed through acomputer network between multiple computing devices. For example thedata processing system can route a content item to a different interfacethan an interface from which a request was received. The differentinterface can be on the same client computing device or a differentclient computing device from which a request was received. The dataprocessing system can select at least one candidate interface from aplurality of candidate interfaces for content item transmission to aclient computing device. The candidate interfaces can be determinedbased on technical or computing parameters such as processor capabilityor utilization rate, memory capability or availability, battery status,available power, network bandwidth utilization, interface parameters orother resource utilization values. By selecting an interface to receiveand provide the content item for rendering from the client computingdevice based on candidate interfaces or utilization rates associatedwith the candidate interfaces, the data processing system can reducenetwork bandwidth usage, latency, or processing utilization or powerconsumption of the client computing device that renders the contentitem. This saves processing power and other computing resources such asmemory, reduces electrical power consumption by the data processingsystem and the reduced data transmissions via the computer networkreduces bandwidth requirements and usage of the data processing system.

The systems and methods described herein can include a data processingsystem that receives an input audio query, which can also be referred toas an input audio signal. From the input audio query the data processingsystem can identify a request and a trigger keyword corresponding to therequest. Based on the trigger keyword or the request, the dataprocessing system can generate a first action data structure. Forexample, the first action data structure can include an organic responseto the input audio query received from a client computing device, andthe data processing system can provide the first action data structureto the same client computing device for rendering as audio output viathe same interface from which the request was received.

The data processing system can also select at least one content itembased on the trigger keyword or the request. The data processing systemcan identify or determine a plurality of candidate interfaces forrendering of the content item(s). The interfaces can include one or morehardware or software interfaces, such as display screens, audiointerfaces, speakers, applications or programs available on the clientcomputing device that originated the input audio query, or on differentclient computing devices. The interfaces can include java script slotsfor online documents for the insertion of content items, as well as pushnotification interfaces. The data processing system can determineutilization values for the different candidate interfaces. Theutilization values can indicate power, processing, memory, bandwidth, orinterface parameter capabilities, for example. Based on the utilizationvalues for the candidate interfaces the data processing system canselect a candidate interface as a selected interface for presentation orrendering of the content item. For example, the data processing systemcan convert or provide the content item for delivery in a modalitycompatible with the selected interface. The selected interface can be aninterface of the same client computing device that originated the inputaudio signal or a different client computing device. By routing datapackets via a computing network based on utilization values associatedwith a candidate interface, the data processing system selects adestination for the content item in a manner that can use the leastamount of processing power, memory, or bandwidth from available options,or that can conserve power of one or more client computing devices.

The data processing system can provide the content item or the firstaction data structure by packet or other protocol based data messagetransmission via a computer network to a client computing device. Theoutput signal can cause an audio driver component of the clientcomputing device to generate an acoustic wave, e.g., an audio output,which can be output from the client computing device. The audio (orother) output can correspond to the first action data structure or tothe content item. For example the first action data structure can berouted as audio output, and the content item can be routed as a textbased message. By routing the first action data structure and thecontent item to different interfaces, the data processing system canconserve resources utilized by each interface, relative to providingboth the first action data structure and the content item to the sameinterface. This results in fewer data processing operations, less memoryusage, or less network bandwidth utilization by the selected interfaces(or their corresponding devices) than would be the case withoutseparation and independent routing of the first action data structureand the content item.

FIG. 1 depicts an example system 100 to for multi-modal transmission ofpacketized data in a voice activated data packet (or other protocol)based computer network environment. The system 100 can include at leastone data processing system 105. The data processing system 105 caninclude at least one server having at least one processor. For example,the data processing system 105 can include a plurality of serverslocated in at least one data center or server farm. The data processingsystem 105 can determine, from an audio input signal a request and atrigger keyword associated with the request. Based on the request andtrigger keyword the data processing system 105 can determine or selectat least one action data structure, and can select at least one contentitem (and initiate other actions as described herein). The dataprocessing system 105 can identify candidate interfaces for rendering ofthe action data structures or the content items, and can provide theaction data structures or the content items for rendering by one or morecandidate interfaces on one or more client computing devices based onresource utilization values for or of the candidate interfaces, forexample as part of a voice activated communication or planning system.The action data structures (or the content items) can include one ormore audio files that when rendered provide an audio output or acousticwave. The action data structures or the content items can include othercontent (e.g., text, video, or image content) in addition to audiocontent.

The data processing system 105 can include multiple, logically-groupedservers and facilitate distributed computing techniques. The logicalgroup of servers may be referred to as a data center, server farm or amachine farm. The servers can be geographically dispersed. A data centeror machine farm may be administered as a single entity, or the machinefarm can include a plurality of machine farms. The servers within eachmachine farm can be heterogeneous—one or more of the servers or machinescan operate according to one or more type of operating system platform.The data processing system 105 can include servers in a data center thatare stored in one or more high-density rack systems, along withassociated storage systems, located for example in an enterprise datacenter. The data processing system 105 with consolidated servers in thisway can improve system manageability, data security, the physicalsecurity of the system, and system performance by locating servers andhigh performance storage systems on localized high performance networks.Centralization of all or some of the data processing system 105components, including servers and storage systems, and coupling themwith advanced system management tools allows more efficient use ofserver resources, which saves power and processing requirements andreduces bandwidth usage.

The data processing system 105 can include at least one natural languageprocessor (NLP) component 110, at least one interface 115, at least oneprediction component 120, at least one content selector component 125,at least one audio signal generator component 130, at least one directaction application programming interface (API) 135, at least oneinterface management component 140, and at least one data repository145. The NLP component 110, interface 115, prediction component 120,content selector component 125, audio signal generator component 130,direct action API 135, and interface management component 140 can eachinclude at least one processing unit, server, virtual server, circuit,engine, agent, appliance, or other logic device such as programmablelogic arrays configured to communicate with the data repository 145 andwith other computing devices (e.g., at least one client computing device150, at least one content provider computing device 155, or at least oneservice provider computing device 160) via the at least one computernetwork 165. The network 165 can include computer networks such as theinternet, local, wide, metro or other area networks, intranets,satellite networks, other computer networks such as voice or data mobilephone communication networks, and combinations thereof.

The network 165 can include or constitute a display network, e.g., asubset of information resources available on the internet that areassociated with a content placement or search engine results system, orthat are eligible to include third party content items as part of acontent item placement campaign. The network 165 can be used by the dataprocessing system 105 to access information resources such as web pages,web sites, domain names, or uniform resource locators that can bepresented, output, rendered, or displayed by the client computing device150. For example, via the network 165 a user of the client computingdevice 150 can access information or data provided by the dataprocessing system 105, the content provider computing device 155 or theservice provider computing device 160.

The network 165 can include, for example a point-to-point network, abroadcast network, a wide area network, a local area network, atelecommunications network, a data communication network, a computernetwork, an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) network, a SONET(Synchronous Optical Network) network, a SDH (Synchronous DigitalHierarchy) network, a wireless network or a wireline network, andcombinations thereof. The network 165 can include a wireless link, suchas an infrared channel or satellite band. The topology of the network165 may include a bus, star, or ring network topology. The network 165can include mobile telephone networks using any protocol or protocolsused to communicate among mobile devices, including advanced mobilephone protocol (“AMPS”), time division multiple access (“TDMA”),code-division multiple access (“CDMA”), global system for mobilecommunication (“GSM”), general packet radio services (“GPRS”) oruniversal mobile telecommunications system (“UMTS”). Different types ofdata may be transmitted via different protocols, or the same types ofdata may be transmitted via different protocols.

The client computing device 150, the content provider computing device155, and the service provider computing device 160 can each include atleast one logic device such as a computing device having a processor tocommunicate with each other or with the data processing system 105 viathe network 165. The client computing device 150, the content providercomputing device 155, and the service provider computing device 160 caneach include at least one server, processor or memory, or a plurality ofcomputation resources or servers located in at least one data center.The client computing device 150, the content provider computing device155, and the service provider computing device 160 can each include atleast one computing device such as a desktop computer, laptop, tablet,personal digital assistant, smartphone, portable computer, server, thinclient computer, virtual server, or other computing device.

The client computing device 150 can include at least one sensor 151, atleast one transducer 152, at least one audio driver 153, and at leastone speaker 154. The sensor 151 can include a microphone or audio inputsensor. The transducer 152 can convert the audio input into anelectronic signal, or vice-versa. The audio driver 153 can include ascript or program executed by one or more processors of the clientcomputing device 150 to control the sensor 151, the transducer 152 orthe audio driver 153, among other components of the client computingdevice 150 to process audio input or provide audio output. The speaker154 can transmit the audio output signal.

The client computing device 150 can be associated with an end user thatenters voice queries as audio input into the client computing device 150(via the sensor 151) and receives audio output in the form of a computergenerated voice that can be provided from the data processing system 105(or the content provider computing device 155 or the service providercomputing device 160) to the client computing device 150, output fromthe speaker 154. The audio output can correspond to an action datastructure received from the direct action API 135, or a content itemselected by the content selector component 125. The computer generatedvoice can include recordings from a real person or computer generatedlanguage.

The content provider computing device 155 (or the data processing system105 or service provider computing device 160) can provide audio basedcontent items or action data structures for display by the clientcomputing device 150 as an audio output. The action data structure orcontent item can include an organic response or offer for a good orservice, such as a voice based message that states: “Today it will besunny and 80 degrees at the beach” as an organic response to avoice-input query of “Is today a beach day?”. The data processing system105 (or other system 100 component such as the content providercomputing device 155 can also provide a content item as a response, suchas a voice or text message based content item offering sunscreen.

The content provider computing device 155 or the data repository 145 caninclude memory to store a series of audio action data structures orcontent items that can be provided in response to a voice based query.The action data structures and content items can include packet baseddata structures for transmission via the network 165. The contentprovider computing device 155 can also provide audio or text basedcontent items (or other content items) to the data processing system 105where they can be stored in the data repository 145. The data processingsystem 105 can select the audio action data structures or text basedcontent items and provide (or instruct the content provider computingdevice 155 to provide) them to the same or different client computingdevices 150 responsive to a query received from one of those clientcomputing device 150. The audio based action data structures can beexclusively audio or can be combined with text, image, or video data.The content items can be exclusively text or can be combined with audio,image or video data.

The service provider computing device 160 can include at least oneservice provider natural language processor (NLP) component 161 and atleast one service provider interface 162. The service provider NLPcomponent 161 (or other components such as a direct action API of theservice provider computing device 160) can engage with the clientcomputing device 150 (via the data processing system 105 or bypassingthe data processing system 105) to create a back-and-forth real-timevoice or audio based conversation (e.g., a session) between the clientcomputing device 150 and the service provider computing device 160. Forexample, the service provider interface 162 can receive or provide datamessages (e.g., action data structures or content items) to the directaction API 135 of the data processing system 105. The direct action API135 can also generate the action data structures independent from orwithout input from the service provider computing device 160. Theservice provider computing device 160 and the content provider computingdevice 155 can be associated with the same entity. For example, thecontent provider computing device 155 can create, store, or makeavailable content items for beach relates services, such as sunscreen,beach towels or bathing suits, and the service provider computing device160 can establish a session with the client computing device 150 torespond to a voice input query about the weather at the beach,directions for a beach, or a recommendation for an area beach, and canprovide these content items to the end user of the client computingdevice 150 via an interface of the same client computing device 150 fromwhich the query was received, a different interface of the same clientcomputing device 150, or an interface of a different client computingdevice. The data processing system 105, via the direct action API 135,the NLP component 110 or other components can also establish the sessionwith the client computing device, including or bypassing the serviceprovider computing device 160, to for example to provide an organicresponse to a query related to the beach.

The data repository 145 can include one or more local or distributeddatabases, and can include a database management system. The datarepository 145 can include computer data storage or memory and can storeone or more parameters 146, one or more policies 147, content data 148,or templates 149 among other data. The parameters 146, policies 147, andtemplates 149 can include information such as rules about a voice basedsession between the client computing device 150 and the data processingsystem 105 (or the service provider computing device 160). The contentdata 148 can include content items for audio output or associatedmetadata, as well as input audio messages that can be part of one ormore communication sessions with the client computing device 150.

The system 100 can optimize processing of action data structures andcontent items in a voice activated data packet (or other protocol)environment. For example, the data processing system 105 can include orbe part of a voice activated assistant service, voice command device,intelligent personal assistant, knowledge navigator, event planning, orother assistant program. The data processing system 105 can provide oneor more instances of action data structures as audio output for displayfrom the client computing device 150 to accomplish tasks related to aninput audio signal. For example, the data processing system cancommunicate with the service provider computing device 160 or otherthird party computing devices to generate action data structures withinformation about a beach, among other things. For example, an end usercan enter an input audio signal into the client computing device 150 of:“OK, I would like to go to the beach this weekend” and an action datastructure can indicate the weekend weather forecast for area beaches,such as “it will be sunny and 80 degrees at the beach on Saturday, withhigh tide at 3 pm.”

The action data structures can include a number of organic ornon-sponsored responses to the input audio signal. For example, theaction data structures can include a beach weather forecast ordirections to a beach. The action data structures in this exampleinclude organic, or non-sponsored content that is directly responsive tothe input audio signal. The content items responsive to the input audiosignal can include sponsored or non-organic content, such as an offer tobuy sunscreen from a convenience store located near the beach. In thisexample, the organic action data structure (beach forecast) isresponsive to the input audio signal (a query related to the beach), andthe content item (a reminder or offer for sunscreen) is also responsiveto the same input audio signal. The data processing system 105 canevaluate system 100 parameters (e.g., power usage, available displays,formats of displays, memory requirements, bandwidth usage, powercapacity or time of input power (e.g., internal battery or externalpower source such as a power source from a wall output) to provide theaction data structure and the content item to different candidateinterfaces on the same client computing device 150, or to differentcandidate interfaces on different client computing devices 150.

The data processing system 105 can include an application, script orprogram installed at the client computing device 150, such as an app tocommunicate input audio signals (e.g., as data packets via a packetizedor other protocol based transmission) to at least one interface 115 ofthe data processing system 105 and to drive components of the clientcomputing device 150 to render output audio signals (e.g., for actiondata structures) or other output signals (e.g., content items). The dataprocessing system 105 can receive data packets or other signal thatincludes or identifies an audio input signal. For example, the dataprocessing system 105 can execute or run the NLP component 110 toreceive the audio input signal.

The NLP component 110 can convert the audio input signal into recognizedtext by comparing the input signal against a stored, representative setof audio waveforms (e.g., in the data repository 145) and choosing theclosest matches. The representative waveforms are generated across alarge set of users, and can be augmented with speech samples. After theaudio signal is converted into recognized text, the NLP component 110can match the text to words that are associated, for example viatraining across users or through manual specification, with actions thatthe data processing system 105 can serve.

The audio input signal can be detected by the sensor 151 (e.g., amicrophone) of the client computing device. Via the transducer 152, theaudio driver 153, or other components the client computing device 150can provide the audio input signal to the data processing system 105(e.g., via the network 165) where it can be received (e.g., by theinterface 115) and provided to the NLP component 110 or stored in thedata repository 145 as content data 148.

The NLP component 110 can receive or otherwise obtain the input audiosignal. From the input audio signal, the NLP component 110 can identifyat least one request or at least one trigger keyword corresponding tothe request. The request can indicate intent or subject matter of theinput audio signal. The trigger keyword can indicate a type of actionlikely to be taken. For example, the NLP component 110 can parse theinput audio signal to identify at least one request to go to the beachfor the weekend. The trigger keyword can include at least one word,phrase, root or partial word, or derivative indicating an action to betaken. For example, the trigger keyword “go” or “to go to” from theinput audio signal can indicate a need for transport or a trip away fromhome. In this example, the input audio signal (or the identifiedrequest) does not directly express an intent for transport, however thetrigger keyword indicates that transport is an ancillary action to atleast one other action that is indicated by the request.

The prediction component 120 (or other mechanism of the data processingsystem 105) can generate, based on the request or the trigger keyword,at least one action data structure associated with the input audiosignal. The action data structure can indicate information related tosubject matter of the input audio signal. The action data structure caninclude one or more than one action, such as organic responses to theinput audio signal. For example, the input audio signal “OK, I wouldlike to go to the beach this weekend” can include at least one requestindicating an interest for a beach weather forecast, surf report, orwater temperature information, and at least one trigger keyword, e.g.,“go” indicating travel to the beach, such as a need for items one maywant to bring to the beach, or a need for transportation to the beach.The prediction component 120 can generate or identify subject matter forat least one action data structure, an indication of a request for abeach weather forecast, as well as subject matter for a content item,such as an indication of a query for sponsored content related tospending a day at a beach. From the request or the trigger keyword theprediction component 120 (or other system 100 component such as the NLPcomponent 110 or the direct action API 135) predicts, estimates, orotherwise determines subject matter for action data structures or forcontent items. From this subject matter, the direct action API 135 cangenerate at least one action data structure and can communicate with atleast one content provider computing device 155 to obtain at least onecontent item 155. The prediction component 120 can access the parameters146 or policies 147 in the data repository 145 to determine or otherwiseestimate requests for action data structures or content items. Forexample, the parameters 146 or policies 147 could indicate requests fora beach weekend weather forecast action or for content items related tobeach visits, such as a content item for sunscreen.

The content selector component 125 can obtain indications of any of theinterest in or request for the action data structure or for the contentitem. For example, the prediction component 120 can directly orindirectly (e.g., via the data repository 145) provide an indication ofthe action data structure or content item to the content selectorcomponent 125. The content selector component 125 can obtain thisinformation from the data repository 145, where it can be stored as partof the content data 148. The indication of the action data structure caninform the content selector component 125 of a need for area beachinformation, such as a weather forecast or products or services the enduser may need for a trip to the beach.

From the information received by the content selector component 125,e.g., an indication of a forthcoming trip to the beach, the contentselector component 125 can identify at least one content item. Thecontent item can be responsive or related to the subject matter of theinput audio query. For example, the content item can include datamessage identifying as tore near the beach that has sunscreen, oroffering a taxi ride to the beach. The content selector component 125can query the data repository 145 to select or otherwise identify thecontent item, e.g., from the content data 148. The content selectorcomponent 125 can also select the content item from the content providercomputing device 155. For example responsive to a query received fromthe data processing system 105, the content provider computing device155 can provide a content item to the data processing system 105 (orcomponent thereof) for eventual output by the client computing device150 that originated the input audio signal, or for output to the sameend user by a different client computing device 150.

The audio signal generator component 130 can generate or otherwiseobtain an output signal that includes the content item (as well as theaction data structure) responsive to the input audio signal. Forexample, the data processing system 105 can execute the audio signalgenerator component 130 to generate or create an output signalcorresponding to the action data structure or to the content item. Theinterface component 115 of the data processing system 105 can provide ortransmit one or more data packets that include the output signal via thecomputer network 165 to any client computing device 150. The interface115 can be designed, configured, constructed, or operational to receiveand transmit information using, for example, data packets. The interface115 can receive and transmit information using one or more protocols,such as a network protocol. The interface 115 can include a hardwareinterface, software interface, wired interface, or wireless interface.The interface 115 can facilitate translating or formatting data from oneformat to another format. For example, the interface 115 can include anapplication programming interface that includes definitions forcommunicating between various components, such as software components ofthe system 100.

The data processing system 105 can provide the output signal includingthe action data structure from the data repository 145 or from the audiosignal generator component 130 to the client computing device 150. Thedata processing system 105 can provide the output signal including thecontent item from the data repository 145 or from the audio signalgenerator component 130 to the same or to a different client computingdevice 150.

The data processing system 105 can also instruct, via data packettransmissions, the content provider computing device 155 or the serviceprovider computing device 160 to provide the output signal (e.g.,corresponding to the action data structure or to the content item) tothe client computing device 150. The output signal can be obtained,generated, transformed to or transmitted as one or more data packets (orother communications protocol) from the data processing system 105 (orother computing device) to the client computing device 150.

The content selector component 125 can select the content item or theaction data structure for the as part of a real-time content selectionprocess. For example, the action data structure can be provided to theclient computing device 150 for transmission as audio output by aninterface of the client computing device 150 in a conversational mannerin direct response to the input audio signal. The real-time contentselection process to identify the action data structure and provide thecontent item to the client computing device 150 can occur within oneminute or less from the time of the input audio signal and be consideredreal-time. The data processing system 105 can also identify and providethe content item to at least one interface of the client computingdevice 150 that originated the input audio signal, or to a differentclient computing device 150.

The action data structure (or the content item), for example obtained orgenerated by the audio signal generator component 130 transmitted viathe interface 115 and the computer network 165 to the client computingdevice 150, can cause the client computing device 150 to execute theaudio driver 153 to drive the speaker 154 to generate an acoustic wavecorresponding to the action data structure or to the content item. Theacoustic wave can include words of or corresponding to the action datastructure or content item.

The acoustic wave representing the action data structure can be outputfrom the client computing device 150 separately from the content item.For example, the acoustic wave can include the audio output of “Today itwill be sunny and 80 degrees at the beach.” In this example, the dataprocessing system 105 obtains the input audio signal of, for example,“OK, I would like to go to the beach this weekend.” From thisinformation the NLP component 110 identifies at least one request or atleast one trigger keyword, and the prediction component 120 uses therequest(s) or trigger keyword(s) to identify a request for an actiondata structure or for a content item. The content selector component 125(or other component) can identify, select, or generate a content itemfor, e.g., sunscreen available near the beach. The direct action API 135(or other component) can identify, select, or generate an action datastructure for, e.g., the weekend beach forecast. The data processingsystem 105 or component thereof such as the audio signal generatorcomponent 130 can provide the action data structure for output by aninterface of the client computing device 150. For example, the acousticwave corresponding to the action data structure can be output from theclient computing device 150. The data processing system 105 can providethe content item for output by a different interface of the same clientcomputing device 150 or by an interface of a different client computingdevice 150.

The packet based data transmission of the action data structure by dataprocessing system 105 to the client computing device 150 can include adirect or real-time response to the input audio signal of “OK, I wouldlike to go to the beach this weekend” so that the packet based datatransmissions via the computer network 165 that are part of acommunication session between the data processing system 105 and theclient computing device 150 with the flow and feel of a real-time personto person conversation. This packet based data transmissioncommunication session can also include the content provider computingdevice 155 or the service provider computing device 160.

The content selector component 125 can select the content item or actiondata structure based on at least one request or at least one triggerkeyword of the input audio signal. For example, the requests of theinput audio signal “OK, I would like to go to the beach this weekend”can indicate subject matter of the beach, travel to the beach, or itemsto facilitate a trip to the beach. The NLP component 110 or theprediction component 120 (or other data processing system 105 componentsexecuting as part of the direct action API 135) can identify the triggerkeyword “go” “go to” or “to go to” and can determine a transportationrequest to the beach based at least in part on the trigger keyword. TheNLP component 110 (or other system 100 component) can also determine asolicitation for content items related to beach activity, such as forsunscreen or beach umbrellas. Thus, the data processing system 105 caninfer actions from the input audio signal that are secondary requests(e.g., a request for sunscreen) that are not the primary request orsubject of the input audio signal (information about the beach thisweekend).

The action data structures and content items can correspond to subjectmatter of the input audio signal. The direct action API 135 can executeprograms or scripts, for example from the NLP component 110, theprediction component 120, or the content selector component 125 toidentify action data structures or content items for one or more ofthese actions. The direct action API 135 can execute a specified actionto satisfy the end user's intention, as determined by the dataprocessing system 105. Depending on the action specified in its inputs,the direct action API 135 can execute code or a dialog script thatidentifies the parameters required to fulfill a user request. Such codecan lookup additional information, e.g., in the data repository 145,such as the name of a home automation service, or it can provide audiooutput for rendering at the client computing device 150 to ask the enduser questions such as the intended destination of a requested taxi. Thedirect action API 135 can determine necessary parameters and can packagethe information into an action data structure, which can then be sent toanother component such as the content selector component 125 or to theservice provider computing device 160 to be fulfilled.

The direct action API 135 of the data processing system 105 cangenerate, based on the request or the trigger keyword, the action datastructures. The action data structures can be generated responsive tothe subject matter of the input audio signal. The action data structurescan be included in the messages that are transmitted to or received bythe service provider computing device 160. Based on the audio inputsignal parsed by the NLP component 110, the direct action API 135 candetermine to which, if any, of a plurality of service provider computingdevices 160 the message should be sent. For example, if an input audiosignal includes “OK, I would like to go to the beach this weekend,” theNLP component 110 can parse the input audio signal to identify requestsor trigger keywords such as the trigger keyword word “to go to” as anindication of a need for a taxi. The direct action API 135 can packagethe request into an action data structure for transmission as a messageto a service provider computing device 160 of a taxi service. Themessage can also be passed to the content selector component 125. Theaction data structure can include information for completing therequest. In this example, the information can include a pick up location(e.g., home) and a destination location (e.g., a beach). The directaction API 135 can retrieve a template 149 from the data repository 145to determine which fields to include in the action data structure. Thedirect action API 135 can retrieve content from the data repository 145to obtain information for the fields of the data structure. The directaction API 135 can populate the fields from the template with thatinformation to generate the data structure. The direct action API 135can also populate the fields with data from the input audio signal. Thetemplates 149 can be standardized for categories of service providers orcan be standardized for specific service providers. For example, ridesharing service providers can use the following standardized template149 to create the data structure: {client_device_identifier;authentication_credentials; pick_up_location; destination_location;no_passengers; service_level}.

The content selector component 125 can identify, select, or obtainmultiple content items resulting from a multiple content selectionprocesses. The content selection processes can be real-time, e.g., partof the same conversation, communication session, or series ofcommunications sessions between the data processing system 105 and theclient computing device 150 that involve common subject matter. Theconversation can include asynchronous communications separated from oneanother by a period of hours or days, for example. The conversation orcommunication session can last for a time period from receipt of thefirst input audio signal until an estimated or known conclusion of afinal action related to the first input audio signal, or receipt by thedata processing system 105 of an indication of a termination orexpiration of the conversation. For example, the data processing system105 can determine that a conversation related to a weekend beach tripbegins at the time or receipt of the input audio signal and expires orterminates at the end of the weekend, e.g., Sunday night or Mondaymorning. The data processing system 105 that provides action datastructures or content items for rendering by one or more interfaces ofthe client computing device 150 or of another client computing device150 during the active time period of the conversation (e.g., fromreceipt of the input audio signal until a determined expiration time)can be considered to be operating in real-time. In this example thecontent selection processes and rendering of the content items andaction data structures occurs in real time.

The interface management component 140 can poll, determine, identify, orselect interfaces for rendering of the action data structures and of thecontent items related to the input audio signal. For example, theinterface management component 140 can identify one or more candidateinterfaces of client computing devices 150 associated with an end userthat entered the input audio signal (e.g., “What is the weather at thebeach today?”) into one of the client computing devices 150 via an audiointerface. The interfaces can include hardware such as sensor 151 (e.g.,a microphone), speaker 154, or a screen size of a computing device,alone or combined with scripts or programs (e.g., the audio driver 153)as well as apps, computer programs, online documents (e.g., webpage)interfaces and combinations thereof.

The interfaces can include social media accounts, text messageapplications, or email accounts associated with an end user of theclient computing device 150 that originated the input audio signal.Interfaces can include the audio output of a smartphone, or an app basedmessaging device installed on the smartphone, or on a wearable computingdevice, among other client computing devices 150. The interfaces canalso include display screen parameters (e.g., size, resolution), audioparameters, mobile device parameters, (e.g., processing power, batterylife, existence of installed apps or programs, or sensor 151 or speaker154 capabilities), content slots on online documents for text, image, orvideo renderings of content items, chat applications, laptopsparameters, smartwatch or other wearable device parameters (e.g.,indications of their display or processing capabilities), or virtualreality headset parameters.

The interface management component 140 can poll a plurality ofinterfaces to identify candidate interfaces. Candidate interfacesinclude interfaces having the capability to render a response to theinput audio signal, (e.g., the action data structure as an audio output,or the content item that can be output in various formats includingnon-audio formats). The interface management component 140 can determineparameters or other capabilities of interfaces to determine that theyare (or are not) candidate interfaces. For example, the interfacemanagement component 140 can determine, based on parameters 146 of thecontent item or of a first client computing device 150 (e.g., asmartwatch wearable device), that the smartwatch includes an availablevisual interface of sufficient size or resolution to render the contentitem. The interface management component 140 can also determine that theclient computing device 150 that originated the input audio signal has aspeaker 154 hardware and installed program e.g., an audio driver orother script to render the action data structure.

The interface management component 140 can determine utilization valuesfor candidate interfaces. The utilization values can indicate that acandidate interface can (or cannot) render the action data structures orthe content items provided in response to input audio signals. Theutilization values can include parameters 146 obtained from the datarepository 145 or other parameters obtained from the client computingdevice 150, such as bandwidth or processing utilizations orrequirements, processing power, power requirements, battery status,memory utilization or capabilities, or other interface parameters thatindicate the available of an interface to render action data structuresor content items. The battery status can indicate a type of power source(e.g., internal battery or external power source such as via an output),a charging status (e.g., currently charging or not), or an amount ofremaining battery power. The interface management component 140 canselect interfaces based on the battery status or charging status.

The interface management component 140 can order the candidateinterfaces in a hierarchy or ranking based on the utilization values.For example different utilization values (e.g., processing requirements,display screen size, accessibility to the end user) can be givendifferent weights. The interface management component 140 can rank oneor more of the utilization values of the candidate interfaces based ontheir weights to determine an optimal corresponding candidate interfacefor rendering of the content item (or action data structure). Based onthis hierarchy, the interface management component 140 can select thehighest ranked interface for rendering of the content item.

Based on utilization values for candidate interfaces, the interfacemanagement component 140 can select at least one candidate interface asa selected interface for the content item. The selected interface forthe content item can be the same interface from which the input audiosignal was received (e.g., an audio interface of the client computingdevice 150) or a different interface (e.g., a text message based app ofthe same client computing device 150, or an email account accessiblefrom the same client computing device 150.

The interface management component 140 can select an interface for thecontent item that is an interface of a different client computing device150 than the device that originated the input audio signal. For example,the data processing system 105 can receive the input audio signal from afirst client computing device 150 (e.g., a smartphone), and can selectan interface such as a display of a smartwatch (or any other clientcomputing device for rendering of the content item. The multiple clientcomputing devices 150 can all be associated with the same end user. Thedata processing system 105 can determine that multiple client computingdevices 150 are associated with the same end user based on informationreceived with consent from the end user such as user access to a commonsocial media or email account across multiple client computing devices150.

The interface management component 140 can also determine that aninterface is unavailable. For example the interface management component140 can poll interfaces and determine that a battery status of a clientcomputing device 150 associated with the interface is low, or below athreshold level such as 10%. Or the interface management component 140can determine that the client computing device 150 associated with theinterface lacks sufficient display screen size or processing power torender the content item, or that the processor utilization rate is toohigh, as the client computing device is currently executing anotherapplication, for example to stream content via the network 165. In theseand other examples the interface management component 140 can determinethat the interface is unavailable and can eliminate the interface as acandidate for rendering the content item or the action data structure.

Thus, the interface management component 140 can determine that acandidate interface accessible by the first client computing device 150is linked to an account of an end user, and that a second candidateinterface accessible by a second client computing device 150 is alsolinked to the same account. For example, both client computing devices150 may have access to the same social media account, e.g., viainstallation of an app or script at each client computing device 150.The interface management component 140 can also determine that multipleinterfaces correspond to the same account, and can provide multiple,different content items to the multiple interfaces corresponding to thecommon account. For example, the data processing system 105 candetermine, with end user consent, that an end user has accessed anaccount from different client computing devices 150. These multipleinterfaces can be separate instances of the same interface (e.g., thesame app installed on different client computing devices 150) ordifferent interfaces such as different apps for different social mediaaccounts that are both linked to a common email address account,accessible from multiple client computing devices 150.

The interface management component 140 can also determine or estimatedistances between client computing devices 150 associated with candidateinterfaces. For example, the data processing system 105 can obtain, withuser consent, an indication that the input audio signal originated froma smartphone or virtual reality headset computing device 150, and thatthe end user is associated with an active smartwatch client computingdevice 150. From this information the interface management component candetermine that the smartwatch is active, e.g., being worn by the enduser when the end user enters the input audio signal into thesmartphone, so that the two client computing devices 150 are within athreshold distance of one another. In another example, the dataprocessing system 105 can determine, with end user consent, the locationof a smartphone that is the source of an input audio signal, and canalso determine that a laptop account associated with the end user iscurrently active. For example, the laptop can be signed into a socialmedia account indicating that the user is currently active on thelaptop. In this example the data processing system 105 can determinethat the end user is within a threshold distance of the smartphone andof the laptop, so that the laptop can be an appropriate choice forrendering of the content item via a candidate interface.

The interface management component 140 can select the interface for thecontent item based on at least one utilization value indicating that theselected interface is the most efficient for the content item. Forexample, from among candidate interfaces, the interface to render thecontent item at the smartwatch uses the least bandwidth due as thecontent item is smaller and can be transmitted with fewer resources. Orthe interface management component 140 can determine that the candidateinterface selected for rendering of the content item is currentlycharging (e.g., plugged in) so that rendering of the content item by theinterface will not drain battery power of the corresponding clientcomputing device 150. In another example, the interface managementcomponent 140 can select a candidate interface that is currentlyperforming fewer processing operations than another, unselectedinterface of for example a different client computing device 150 that iscurrently streaming video content from the network 165 and thereforeless available to render the content item without delay.

The interface management component 140 (or other data processing system105 component) can convert the content item for delivery in a modalitycompatible with the candidate interface. For example, if the candidateinterface is a display of a smartwatch, smartphone, or tablet computingdevice, the interface management component 140 can size the content itemfor appropriate visual display given the dimensions of the displayscreen associated with the interface. The interface management component140 can also convert the content item to a packet or other protocolbased format, including proprietary or industry standard format fortransmission to the client computing device 150 associated with theselected interface. The interface selected by the interface managementcomponent 140 for the content item can include an interface accessiblefrom multiple client computing devices 150 by the end user. For example,the interface can be or include a social media account that the end usercan access via the client computing device 150 that originated the inputaudio signal (e.g., a smartphone) as well as other client computingdevices such as tabled or desktop computers or other mobile computingdevices.

The interface management component 140 can also select at least onecandidate interface for the action data structure. This interface can bethe same interface from which the input audio signal was obtained, e.g.,a voice activated assistant service executed at a client computingdevice 150. This can be the same interface or a different interface thanthe interface management component 140 selects for the content item. Theinterface management component 140 (or other data processing system 105components) can provide the action data structure to the same clientcomputing device 150 that originated the input audio signal forrendering as audio output as part of the assistant service. Theinterface management component 140 can also transmit or otherwiseprovide the content item to the selected interface for the content item,in any converted modality appropriate for rendering by the selectedinterface.

Thus, the interface management component 140 can provide the action datastructure as audio output for rendering by an interface of the clientcomputing device 150 responsive to the input audio signal received bythe same client computing device 150. The interface management component140 can also provide the content item for rendering by a differentinterface of the same client computing device 150 or of a differentclient computing device 150 associated with the same end user. Forexample, the action data structure, e.g., “it will be sunny and 80degrees at the beach on Saturday” can be provided for audio rendering bythe client computing device as part of an assistant program interfaceexecuting in part at the client computing device 150, and the contentitem e.g., a text, audio, or combination content item indicating that“sunscreen is available from the convenience store near the beach” canbe provided for rendering by an interface of the same or a differentcomputing device 150, such as an email or text message accessible by thesame or a different client computing device 150 associated with the enduser.

Separating the content item from the action data structure and sendingthe content item as, for example, a text message rather than an audiomessage can result in reduced processing power for the client computingdevice 150 that accesses the content item since, for example, textmessage data transmissions are less computationally intensive than audiomessage data transmissions. This separation can also reduce power usage,memory storage, or transmission bandwidth used to render the contentitem. This results in increased processing, power, and bandwidthefficiencies of the system 100 and devices such as the client computingdevices 150 and the data processing system 105. This increases theefficiency of the computing devices that process these transactions, andincreases the speed with which the content items can be rendered. Thedata processing system 105 can process thousands, tens of thousands ormore input audio signals simultaneously so the bandwidth, power, andprocessing savings can be significant and not merely incremental orincidental.

The interface management component 140 can provide or deliver thecontent item to the same client computing device 150 (or a differentdevice) as the action data structure subsequent to delivery of theaction data structure to the client computing device 150. For example,the content item can be provided for rendering via the selectedinterface upon conclusion of audio output rendering of the action datastructure. The interface management component 140 can also provide thecontent item to the selected interface concurrent with the provision ofthe action data structure to the client computing device 150. Theinterface management component 140 can provide the content item fordelivery via the selected interface within a pre-determined time periodfrom receipt of the input audio signal by the NLP component 110. Thetime period, for example, can be any time during an active length of theconversation of session. For example, if the input audio signal is “Iwould like to go to the beach this weekend” the pre-determined timeperiod can be any time from receipt of the input audio signal throughthe end of the weekend, e.g., the active period of the conversation. Thepre-determined time period can also be a time triggered from renderingof the action data structure as audio output by the client computingdevice 150, such as within 5 minutes, one hour or one day of thisrendering.

The interface management component 140 can provide the action datastructure to the client computing device 150 with an indication of theexistence of the content item. For example, the data processing system105 can provide the action data structure that renders at the clientcomputing device 150 to provide the audio output “it will be sunny and80 degrees at the beach on Saturday, check your email for moreinformation.” The phrase “check your email for more information” canindicate the existence of a content item, e.g., for sunscreen, providedby the data processing system 105 to an interface (e.g., email). In thisexample, sponsored content can be provided as content items to the email(or other) interface and organic content such as the weather can beprovided as the action data structure for audio output.

The data processing system 105 can also provide the action datastructure with a prompt that queries the user to determine user interestin obtaining the content item. For example, the action data structurecan indicate “it will be sunny and 80 degrees at the beach on Saturday,would you like to hear about some services to assist with your trip?”The data processing system 105 can receive another audio input signalfrom the client computing device 150 in response to the prompt “wouldyou like to hear about some services to assist with your trip?” such as“sure”. The NLP component 110 can parse this response, e.g., “sure” andinterpret it as authorization for audio rendering of the content item bythe client computing device 150. In response, the data processing system105 can provide the content item for audio rendering by the same clientcomputing device 150 from which the response “sure” originated.

The data processing system 105 can delay transmission of the contentitem associated with the action data structure to optimize processingutilization. For example, the data processing system 105 provide theaction data structure for rendering as audio output by the clientcomputing device in real-time responsive to receipt of the input audiosignal, e.g., in a conversational manner, and can delay content itemtransmission until an off-peak or non-peak period of data center usage,which results in more efficient utilization of the data center byreducing peak bandwidth usage, heat output or cooling requirements. Thedata processing system 105 can also initiate a conversion or otheractivity associated with the content item, such as ordering a carservice responsive to a response to the action data structure or to thecontent item, based on data center utilization rates or bandwidthmetrics or requirements of the network 165 or of a data center thatincludes the data processing system 105.

Based on a response to a content item or to the action data structurefor a subsequent action, such as a click on the content item renderedvia the selected interface, the data processing system 105 can identifya conversion, or initiate a conversion or action. Processors of the dataprocessing system 105 can invoke the direct action API 135 to executescripts that facilitate the conversion action, such as to order a carfrom a car share service to take the end user to or from the beach. Thedirect action API 135 can obtain content data 148 (or parameters 146 orpolicies 147) from the data repository 145, as well as data receivedwith end user consent from the client computing device 150 to determinelocation, time, user accounts, logistical or other information in orderto reserve a car from the car share service. Using the direct action API135, the data processing system 105 can also communicate with theservice provider computing device 160 to complete the conversion by inthis example making the car share pick up reservation.

FIG. 2 depicts a flow diagram 200 for multi-modal transmission ofpacketized data in a voice activated computer network environment. Thedata processing system 105 can receive the input audio signal 205, e.g.,“OK, I would like to go to the beach this weekend.” In response, thedata processing system generates at least one action data structure 210and at least one content item 215. The action data structure 205 caninclude organic or non-sponsored content, such as a response for audiorendering stating “It will be sunny and 80 degrees at the beach thisweekend” or “high tide is at 3 pm.” The data processing system 105 canprovide the action data structure 210 to the same client computingdevice 150 that originated the input audio signal 205, for rendering bya candidate interface of the client computing device 150, e.g., asoutput in a real time or conversational manner as part of a digital orconversational assistant platform.

The data processing system 105 can select the candidate interface 220 asa selected interface for the content item 215, and can provide thecontent item 215 to the selected interface 220. The content item 215 canalso include a data structure, converted to the appropriate modality bythe data processing system 105 for rendering by the selected interface220. The content item 215 can include sponsored content, such as anoffer to rent a beach chair for the day, or for sunscreen. The selectedinterface 220 can be part of or executed by the same client computingdevice 150 or by a different device accessible by the end user of theclient computing device 150. Transmission of the action data structure210 and the content item 215 can occur at the same time or subsequent toone another. The action data structure 210 can include an indicator thatthe content item 215 is being or will be transmitted separately via adifferent modality or format to the selected interface 200, alerting theend user to the existence of the content item 215.

The action data structure 210 and the content item 215 can be providedseparately for rendering to the end user. By separating the sponsoredcontent (content item 215) from the organic response (action datastructure 210) audio or other alerts indicating that the content item215 is sponsored do not need to be provided with the action datastructure 210. This can reduce bandwidth requirements associated withtransmission of the action data structure 210 via the network 165 andcan simplify rendering of the action data structure 210, for examplewithout audio disclaimer or warning messages.

The data processing system 105 can receive a response audio signal 225.The response audio signal 225 can include an audio signal such as,“great, please book me a hotel on the beach this weekend.” Receipt bythe data processing system 105 of the response audio signal 225 cancause the data processing system to invoke the direct action API 135 toexecute a conversion to, for example, book a hotel room on the beach.The direct action API 135 can also communicate with at least one serviceprovider computing device 160 to provide information to the serviceprovider computing device 160 so that the service provider computingdevice 160 can complete or confirm the booking process.

FIG. 3 depicts a method 300 of multi-modal transmission of packetizeddata in a voice activated computer network environment. The method 300can receive data packets (ACT 305). For example, the NLP component 110,executed by the data processing system 105, can receive from the clientcomputing device 105 data packets that include an input audio signal(ACT 305). The data packets can be received (ACT 305) via the network165 as packet or other protocol based data transmissions. The method 300can identify, from the input audio signal, requests or trigger keywordscorresponding to the requests (ACT 310). For example, the NLP component110 can parse the input audio signal to identify requests that relate tosubject matter of the input audio signal, or to identify triggerkeywords that can indicate, for example, actions associated with therequests.

The method 300 can generate at least one action data structure (ACT315). For example, the direct action API 135 can generate action datastructures (ACT 315) based on the requests or trigger keywords. Theaction data structures can indicate organic or non-sponsored contentrelated to the input audio signal. The method 300 can select at leastone content item (ACT 320). For example, the content selector component125 can receive the request(s) or the trigger keyword(s) and based onthis information can select one or more content items. The content itemscan include sponsored items having subject matter that relates tosubject matter of the request or of the trigger keyword. The contentitems can be selected by the content selector component 125 via areal-time content selection process.

The method 300 can poll a plurality of interfaces to determine at leastone candidate interface (ACT 325). The candidate interfaces can includecandidate interfaces for rendering of the selected content item (oraction data structure). For example, the interface management component140 can query interfaces to obtain utilization values, e.g., parameterinformation or other characteristics about the interfaces (ACT 330).Based on the utilization values the interface management component 140can select (ACT 335) at least one candidate interface as a selectedinterface for rendering of the content item (or of the action datastructure). The method 300 can include converting the content item to amodality for rendering via the selected interface (ACT 340). For examplethe data processing system 105 or component thereof such as theinterface management component 140 can convert the content item forrendering in a content item slot of an online document (e.g., fordisplay as an email (e.g., via a selected email interface) or as a textmessage for display in a chat app).

The method 300 can provide the action data structure to the clientcomputing device 150 for rendering (ACT 345) and can transmit thecontent item to the candidate interface selected for rendering of thecontent item (ACT 350). For example, via the interface 115 the interfacemanagement component 140 can provide the action data structure to theclient computing device 150 for rendering as audio output responsive tothe input audio signal (ACT 345). The data processing system can alsotransmit the content item to the selected interface on the same or adifferent client computing device 150 for rendering in the convertedmodality (ACT 350).

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example computer system 400. Thecomputer system or computing device 400 can include or be used toimplement the system 100, or its components such as the data processingsystem 105. The computing system 400 includes a bus 405 or othercommunication component for communicating information and a processor410 or processing circuit coupled to the bus 405 for processinginformation. The computing system 400 can also include one or moreprocessors 410 or processing circuits coupled to the bus for processinginformation. The computing system 400 also includes main memory 415,such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device,coupled to the bus 405 for storing information, and instructions to beexecuted by the processor 410. The main memory 415 can be or include thedata repository 145. The main memory 415 can also be used for storingposition information, temporary variables, or other intermediateinformation during execution of instructions by the processor 410. Thecomputing system 400 may further include a read only memory (ROM) 420 orother static storage device coupled to the bus 405 for storing staticinformation and instructions for the processor 410. A storage device425, such as a solid state device, magnetic disk or optical disk, can becoupled to the bus 405 to persistently store information andinstructions. The storage device 425 can include or be part of the datarepository 145.

The computing system 400 may be coupled via the bus 405 to a display435, such as a liquid crystal display, or active matrix display, fordisplaying information to a user. An input device 430, such as akeyboard including alphanumeric and other keys, may be coupled to thebus 405 for communicating information and command selections to theprocessor 410. The input device 430 can include a touch screen display435. The input device 430 can also include a cursor control, such as amouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, for communicatingdirection information and command selections to the processor 410 andfor controlling cursor movement on the display 435. The display 435 canbe part of the data processing system 105, the client computing device150 or other component of FIG. 1, for example.

The processes, systems and methods described herein can be implementedby the computing system 400 in response to the processor 410 executingan arrangement of instructions contained in main memory 415. Suchinstructions can be read into main memory 415 from anothercomputer-readable medium, such as the storage device 425. Execution ofthe arrangement of instructions contained in main memory 415 causes thecomputing system 400 to perform the illustrative processes describedherein. One or more processors in a multi-processing arrangement mayalso be employed to execute the instructions contained in main memory415. Hard-wired circuitry can be used in place of or in combination withsoftware instructions together with the systems and methods describedherein. Systems and methods described herein are not limited to anyspecific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

Although an example computing system has been described in FIG. 4, thesubject matter including the operations described in this specificationcan be implemented in other types of digital electronic circuitry, or incomputer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structuresdisclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents, or incombinations of one or more of them.

For situations in which the systems discussed herein collect personalinformation about users, or may make use of personal information, theusers may be provided with an opportunity to control whether programs orfeatures that may collect personal information (e.g., information abouta user's social network, social actions or activities, a user'spreferences, or a user's location), or to control whether or how toreceive content from a content server or other data processing systemthat may be more relevant to the user. In addition, certain data may beanonymized in one or more ways before it is stored or used, so thatpersonally identifiable information is removed when generatingparameters. For example, a user's identity may be anonymized so that nopersonally identifiable information can be determined for the user, or auser's geographic location may be generalized where location informationis obtained (such as to a city, postal code, or state level), so that aparticular location of a user cannot be determined. Thus, the user mayhave control over how information is collected about him or her and usedby the content server.

The subject matter and the operations described in this specificationcan be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computersoftware, firmware, or hardware, including the structures disclosed inthis specification and their structural equivalents, or in combinationsof one or more of them. The subject matter described in thisspecification can be implemented as one or more computer programs, e.g.,one or more circuits of computer program instructions, encoded on one ormore computer storage media for execution by, or to control theoperation of, data processing apparatuses. Alternatively or in addition,the program instructions can be encoded on an artificially generatedpropagated signal, e.g., a machine-generated electrical, optical, orelectromagnetic signal that is generated to encode information fortransmission to suitable receiver apparatus for execution by a dataprocessing apparatus. A computer storage medium can be, or be includedin, a computer-readable storage device, a computer-readable storagesubstrate, a random or serial access memory array or device, or acombination of one or more of them. While a computer storage medium isnot a propagated signal, a computer storage medium can be a source ordestination of computer program instructions encoded in an artificiallygenerated propagated signal. The computer storage medium can also be, orbe included in, one or more separate components or media (e.g., multipleCDs, disks, or other storage devices). The operations described in thisspecification can be implemented as operations performed by a dataprocessing apparatus on data stored on one or more computer-readablestorage devices or received from other sources.

The terms “data processing system” “computing device” “component” or“data processing apparatus” encompass various apparatuses, devices, andmachines for processing data, including by way of example a programmableprocessor, a computer, a system on a chip, or multiple ones, orcombinations of the foregoing. The apparatus can include special purposelogic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or anASIC (application specific integrated circuit). The apparatus can alsoinclude, in addition to hardware, code that creates an executionenvironment for the computer program in question, e.g., code thatconstitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database managementsystem, an operating system, a cross-platform runtime environment, avirtual machine, or a combination of one or more of them. The apparatusand execution environment can realize various different computing modelinfrastructures, such as web services, distributed computing and gridcomputing infrastructures. The interface management component 140,direct action API 135, content selector component 125, predictioncomponent 120 or NLP component 110 and other data processing system 105components can include or share one or more data processing apparatuses,systems, computing devices, or processors.

A computer program (also known as a program, software, softwareapplication, app, script, or code) can be written in any form ofprogramming language, including compiled or interpreted languages,declarative or procedural languages, and can be deployed in any form,including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component,subroutine, object, or other unit suitable for use in a computingenvironment. A computer program can correspond to a file in a filesystem. A computer program can be stored in a portion of a file thatholds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in amarkup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program inquestion, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store oneor more modules, sub-programs, or portions of code). A computer programcan be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computersthat are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites andinterconnected by a communication network.

The processes and logic flows described in this specification can beperformed by one or more programmable processors executing one or morecomputer programs (e.g., components of the data processing system 105)to perform actions by operating on input data and generating output. Theprocesses and logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatuses canalso be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA(field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specificintegrated circuit). Devices suitable for storing computer programinstructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, mediaand memory devices, including by way of example semiconductor memorydevices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks,e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto optical disks; andCD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can besupplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

The subject matter described herein can be implemented in a computingsystem that includes a back-end component, e.g., as a data server, orthat includes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, orthat includes a front-end component, e.g., a client computer having agraphical user interface or a web browser through which a user caninteract with an implementation of the subject matter described in thisspecification, or a combination of one or more such back-end,middleware, or front-end components. The components of the system can beinterconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication,e.g., a communication network. Examples of communication networksinclude a local area network (“LAN”) and a wide area network (“WAN”), aninter-network (e.g., the Internet), and peer-to-peer networks (e.g., adhoc peer-to-peer networks).

The computing system such as system 100 or system 400 can includeclients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from eachother and typically interact through a communication network (e.g., thenetwork 165). The relationship of client and server arises by virtue ofcomputer programs running on the respective computers and having aclient-server relationship to each other. In some implementations, aserver transmits data (e.g., data packets representing action datastructures or content items) to a client device (e.g., to the clientcomputing device 150 for purposes of displaying data to and receivinguser input from a user interacting with the client device, or to theservice provider computing device 160 or the content provider computingdevice 155). Data generated at the client device (e.g., a result of theuser interaction) can be received from the client device at the server(e.g., received by the data processing system 105 from the computingdevice 150 or the content provider computing device 155 or the serviceprovider computing device 160).

While operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order,such operations are not required to be performed in the particular ordershown or in sequential order, and all illustrated operations are notrequired to be performed. Actions described herein can be performed in adifferent order.

The separation of various system components does not require separationin all implementations, and the described program components can beincluded in a single hardware or software product. For example, the NLPcomponent 110, the content selector component 125, the interfacemanagement component 140, or the prediction component 120 can be asingle component, app, or program, or a logic device having one or moreprocessing circuits, or part of one or more servers of the dataprocessing system 105.

Having now described some illustrative implementations, it is apparentthat the foregoing is illustrative and not limiting, having beenpresented by way of example. In particular, although many of theexamples presented herein involve specific combinations of method actsor system elements, those acts and those elements may be combined inother ways to accomplish the same objectives. Acts, elements andfeatures discussed in connection with one implementation are notintended to be excluded from a similar role in other implementations orimplementations.

The phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of“including” “comprising” “having” “containing” “involving”“characterized by” “characterized in that” and variations thereofherein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter, equivalentsthereof, and additional items, as well as alternate implementationsconsisting of the items listed thereafter exclusively. In oneimplementation, the systems and methods described herein consist of one,each combination of more than one, or all of the described elements,acts, or components.

Any references to implementations or elements or acts of the systems andmethods herein referred to in the singular may also embraceimplementations including a plurality of these elements, and anyreferences in plural to any implementation or element or act herein mayalso embrace implementations including only a single element. Referencesin the singular or plural form are not intended to limit the presentlydisclosed systems or methods, their components, acts, or elements tosingle or plural configurations. References to any act or element beingbased on any information, act or element may include implementationswhere the act or element is based at least in part on any information,act, or element.

Any implementation disclosed herein may be combined with any otherimplementation or embodiment, and references to “an implementation,”“some implementations,” “one implementation” or the like are notnecessarily mutually exclusive and are intended to indicate that aparticular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connectionwith the implementation may be included in at least one implementationor embodiment. Such terms as used herein are not necessarily allreferring to the same implementation. Any implementation may be combinedwith any other implementation, inclusively or exclusively, in any mannerconsistent with the aspects and implementations disclosed herein.

References to “or” may be construed as inclusive so that any termsdescribed using “or” may indicate any of a single, more than one, andall of the described terms. For example, a reference to “at least one of‘A’ and ‘B’” can include only ‘A’, only ‘B’, as well as both ‘A’ and‘B’. Such references used in conjunction with “comprising” or other openterminology can include additional items.

Where technical features in the drawings, detailed description or anyclaim are followed by reference signs, the reference signs have beenincluded to increase the intelligibility of the drawings, detaileddescription, and claims. Accordingly, neither the reference signs northeir absence have any limiting effect on the scope of any claimelements.

The systems and methods described herein may be embodied in otherspecific forms without departing from the characteristics thereof. Theforegoing implementations are illustrative rather than limiting of thedescribed systems and methods. Scope of the systems and methodsdescribed herein is thus indicated by the appended claims, rather thanthe foregoing description, and changes that come within the meaning andrange of equivalency of the claims are embraced therein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system of multi-modal transmission ofpacketized data in a voice activated data packet based computer networkenvironment, comprising: a natural language processor component executedby a data processing system to receive, via an interface of the dataprocessing system, data packets comprising an input audio signaldetected by a sensor of a client computing device; the natural languageprocessor component to parse the input audio signal to identify arequest and a trigger keyword corresponding to the request; a directaction application programming interface of the data processing systemto generate, based on at least one of the request and the triggerkeyword, a first action data structure; a content selector componentexecuted by the data processing system to receive at least one of therequest and the trigger keyword identified by the natural languageprocessor and to select, based on at least one of the request and thetrigger keyword, a content item via a real-time content selectionprocess; an interface management component of the data processing systemto: poll a plurality of interfaces to identify a first candidateinterface and a second candidate interface; determine a first resourceutilization value for the first candidate interface and a secondresource utilization value for the second candidate interface, the firstresource utilization value and the second resource utilization valuebased on at least one of a battery status, processor utilization, memoryutilization, an interface parameter, and network bandwidth utilization;select, based on a comparison of the first resource utilization valueand the second resource utilization value, the first candidate interfaceas a selected interface to present the content item; convert the contentitem for delivery in a modality compatible with the selected interfaceselected based on the comparison of the first resource utilization valueand the second resource utilization value; provide the first action datastructure to the client computing device for rendering as audio outputfrom the client computing device; and transmit the content itemconverted for the first modality to deliver the content item forrendering from the selected interface.
 2. The system of claim 1,comprising: the interface management component to deliver the contentitem to the client computing device via the selected interfacesubsequent to transmission of the data structure to the client computingdevice.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein first candidate interface andsecond candidate interface are two different interfaces of the clientdevice.
 4. The system of claim 3, comprising: the interface managementcomponent to provide the first action data structure for rendering fromthe second candidate interface.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein theclient computing device is a first client computing device, comprising:the interface management component to determine that the first candidateinterface corresponds to the first client computing device linked to anaccount, and that the second candidate interface corresponds to a secondclient computing device linked to the account.
 6. The system of claim 1,comprising the interface management component to: determine that thefirst candidate interface corresponds to an account, and that the secondcandidate interface corresponds to the account; and to transmit a secondcontent item via the second candidate interface based on the firstcandidate interface and the second candidate interface corresponding tothe account.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the client computingdevice is a first client computing device, comprising: the interfacemanagement component to determine that the first candidate interfacecorresponds to the first client computing device and that the secondcandidate interface corresponds to a second client computing device. 8.The system of claim 1, wherein the first candidate interface includes adisplay screen, and the second candidate interface includes an audiointerface.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first candidateinterface is associated with a push notification, and the secondcandidate interface includes a java script slot on an online document.10. The system of claim 1, comprising the interface management componentto: identify a third candidate interface; determine a third resourceutilization value for the third candidate interface; and assign ahierarchy to the first candidate interface, the second candidateinterface, and the third candidate interface based on the first resourceutilization value, the second resource utilization value, and the thirdresource utilization value.
 11. The system of claim 10, comprising: theinterface management component to deliver the content item to the clientcomputing device via the selected interface based on the hierarchy. 12.The system of claim 1, comprising the interface management component to:determine that the first resource utilization value indicates one of acharging status and a connection to an external power source; and selectthe first candidate interface as the selected interface based on thefirst resource utilization value that indicates one of the chargingstatus and the connection to the external power source.
 13. The systemof claim 1, wherein the plurality of candidate interfaces include atleast one of a display screen, an audio interface, a vibrationinterface, an email interface, a push notification interface, a mobilecomputing device interface, a portable computing device application, acontent slot on an online document, a chat application, mobile computingdevice application, a laptop, a watch, a virtual reality headset, and aspeaker.
 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the client computing deviceis a first client computing device, comprising the interface managementcomponent to: determine a distance between the first client computingdevice and a second client computing device; and to transmit the contentitem converted for the first modality to the second client computingdevice.
 15. The system of claim 1, wherein the client computing deviceis a first client computing device, comprising the interface managementcomponent to: transmit the content item converted for the first modalityto the first client computing device within a pre-determined time periodfrom receipt of the input audio signal by the natural language processorcomponent.
 16. The system of claim 1, comprising: the interfacemanagement component to determine, from the second resource utilizationvalue, that the second candidate interface is unavailable.
 17. Thesystem of claim 1, comprising: provide the first action data structureto the client computing device for rendering with an indication of thecontent item, the indication identifying the first candidate interface.18. A method of multi-modal transmission of packetized data in a voiceactivated data packet based computer network environment, comprising:receiving, by a natural language processor component executed by a dataprocessing system, via an interface of the data processing system, datapackets comprising an input audio signal detected by a sensor of aclient computing device; identifying, by the natural language processorcomponent, from the input audio signal, a request and a trigger keywordcorresponding to the request; generating, by a direct action applicationprogramming interface of the data processing system, based on at leastone of and the trigger keyword, a first action data structure;receiving, by a content selector component executed by the dataprocessing system, at least one of the request and the trigger keywordidentified by the natural language processor and selecting, based on atleast one of the request and the trigger keyword, a content item via areal-time content selection process; polling, by an interface managementcomponent of the data processing system, a plurality of interfaces toidentify a first candidate interface and a second candidate interface;determining, by the interface management component, a first resourceutilization value for the first candidate interface and a secondresource utilization value for the second candidate interface, the firstresource utilization value and the second resource utilization valuebased on at least one of a battery status, processor utilization, memoryutilization, an interface parameter, and network bandwidth utilization;selecting, based on a comparison of the first resource utilization valueand the second resource utilization value, the first candidate interfaceas a selected interface to present the content item; converting thecontent item for delivery in a modality compatible with the firstcandidate interface selected based on the comparison of the firstresource utilization value and the second resource utilization value;providing the first action data structure to the client computing devicefor rendering as audio output from the client computing device; andtransmitting the content item converted for the first modality todeliver the content item for rendering from the selected interface. 19.The method of claim 18, wherein first candidate interface and secondcandidate interface are two different interfaces of the client device,comprising: providing the first action data structure for rendering fromthe second candidate interface.
 20. The method of claim 18, wherein theclient computing device is a first client computing device, comprising:transmitting the content item converted for the first modality to thefirst client computing device within a pre-determined time period fromreceipt of the input audio signal by the natural language processorcomponent.